


Breathe for Me

by LamaraLily



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks Briefly Mentioned, Asthma, Canon Non-Binary Character, Established Relationship, Fluff, Medical Conditions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:28:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24430573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamaraLily/pseuds/LamaraLily
Summary: Elliott is woken up by Bloodhound in the middle of the night. He can think of a million other reasons that would all be better than this.Or: The cryo gas Bloodhound inhaled when they were young messed up their lungs and Elliott is a good boyfriend and helps them through it. I just wanted a nice fluffy story exploring possible consequences of their accident.
Relationships: Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 1
Kudos: 94





	Breathe for Me

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in over two years and I've finally got some motivation but I'm definitely rusty. I've been playing this game non-stop and I've fallen in love with the characters. After seeing "The Old Ways" short I kept having this headcanon that the mask Bloodhound wore was a lot more important than just keeping their privacy. I wrote this as someone who suffers from asthma but went a step further to assume cryo + lungs would do more damage than just asthma so I took some medical liberties as I'm not a doctor. As always, unbeta'd so I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
> Translations:  
> Esklan: Dear One/Sweetheart (along those lines)  
> Haetta: Cease  
> Þráður: Entwine/thread

_

Elliott stirred from his slumber, slowly becoming aware of the soft sheets wrapped around his legs and the sound of the fan whirring in the corner of the room. He cracked open an eye to see it was still dark outside. He had been sleeping much better lately which is why he was confused that his body woke him up at some unknown time in the early hours of the day. Usually when Elliott woke up in the night it was abrupt and violent, fighting fragments of nightmares that plagued him or anxiety that would nibble at his core until sleep was impossible. 

He kicked his foot gently to resettle the sheets where they should be and turned on his side slowly enough that he wouldn’t chase away the sleep he still felt tugging at him. An arm snaked around his waist and a warm body pushed into his back. He waited briefly to see if his companion would move further but they seemed to still be sound asleep, thank goodness. The corner of his lip raised slightly and he sighed in contentment as he felt consciousness slipping away from him again.

~

Elliott was unsure if he had just woken up again or if he had been inches away from sleep when he was once again roused. A whimper broke through the soft whir of the fan and his body stiffened as he came to complete awareness. He held his breath and waited. A soft gasp followed by a quick intake of air punctured the silence. Immediately he was turning to face his companion, their arm still heavy over his waist after he adjusted. 

It was still dark so he couldn’t make out Bloodhound’s face but he waited to hear any other sounds of distress. It could be a nightmare as the hunter had their own demons at their heels when they slept. He reached out and put his own arm around their waist to pull them closer to him, hoping close contact would be enough to chase the nightmare away. Bloodhound didn’t move, still deeply asleep from what Elliott could tell. There was a high pitched squeak as their body tensed and was accompanied by the sound of lips opening and abruptly forcing air out. 

Oh! Oh. It was one of those nights. Nightmares didn’t plague his hunter, it was their own body fighting them while they slept. Bloodhound had told Elliott much earlier in their relationship of their home, the beast, and the cryo gas that had left them scarred on their hands and face but also deeper inside them as well. Before Elliott had grown to know them, he had thought the mask was part of their getup to be an intimidation factor as well as keep their privacy. After growing closer to Bloodhound they had informed him that the mask was a necessity. They were able to live and usually do daily tasks without any issue and no need for the mask other than with some circumstances that aggravated their lungs. 

Fireworks were definitely a no-go, his mind immediately filled with the embarrassing date when he had taken Bloodhound to his ‘Mirage Voyage’ and almost put them in the ground. He hadn’t thought about fireworks causing small debris and smoke that would be perfect to irritate damaged lungs, however, that was also the first time they had kissed him. After getting the hunter inside the interior of his ship and a rescue inhalant in their mouth, they had laughed breathlessly because his face “looked like a child meeting a prowler for the first time.” Elliott had definitely NOT found that funny and Bloodhound insisted on kissing his “cute pout” away, not that he’d complain about that part but he definitely didn’t pout. 

He moved his hand and slowly rubbed circles on their lower back as he waited. Artur seemed to sense distress and Elliott could hear the bird moving on his perch curiously but not anxiously, as if he was also waiting. After one more stuttered breath, Bloodhound’s breathing seemed to be back into the normal range. The nightly attacks were by far the worst in Elliott’s opinion. At least during the day Bloodhound would feel their lungs start to hurt and tighten and could easily grab their rescue inhalant or their mask before it got too bad. At night they occurred rapidly and Elliott felt pain in his heart every time his hunter would wake them both up gasping and clawing the sheets away blindly trying to release the pressure binding their chest. 

The nightly attacks didn’t happen too often, usually only when Bloodhound would push themselves hard in a match or something slipped through the Legend’s barrack vents that didn’t agree with their scarred lungs. Despite it being a rare occurrence, Elliott would find himself sleeping closer to his hunter so he could hear their calm breathing or with his hand where he could feel the steady rise and fall of their chest for days or even weeks after a night attack.

After he was assured Bloodhound wasn’t making anymore sounds of distress he felt sleep start to claim him once again. He buried his face in his hunter’s hair and finally let the tension leave his body. 

~

Sex. It was definitely a sexy dream he was pulled abruptly from but the disappointment immediately melted away when he heard the soft cough. He peeled his eyes open to find the sun starting to shine in through the corner window, dousing the room in a soft orange hue. Elliott rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed so he could look closer at Bloodhound. They had turned away from him sometime in the hours they had slept and had curled in on themselves. Artur had once again started moving in his cage, hopping from the perch towards the door as if to get closer to his master. Elliott leaned over so he could see their face and also run his fingers through their hair, his fingers ran along the beads and loose braids as he counted seconds in his head.

Another soft cough and their face scrunched up as if in pain then relaxed again in sleep. Elliott frowned as he gave the braid in his fingers a twist. He found himself biting his lower lip in worry once again waiting to see if this was going to become a full blown attack - he didn’t want to have to wake his hunter if it was just going to settle down again.

Bloodhound had just placed Champion in the Games the prior day so he knew they were exhausted. It had been a three day trial in duos with a newbie on their team who was downed on the first day. Today he was planning on spoiling them and letting them recoup, he’d even planned a little picnic in one of Bloodhound’s favorite spots of solitude. Mirage may be known as an arrogant self-centered man, but Elliott was truly compassionate and soft hearted. Something that only those close to him would ever get to know. Renee had been one of the first to crack his facade and a few others followed including the beautiful hunter sleeping before him.

Bloodhound tossed their head as they whimpered and another louder cough burst from them. They were still asleep but their hand reached up to grasp at their chest, clearly pained. That settled it then. Elliott untangled himself from the blankets and scrunched his nose as his feet met the cold floor. He quickly found himself on Bloodhound’s side and pulled out the small machine from under the bed and set it up on the nightstand. He absently heard Artur banging at his cage door, cawing to be let out and help his master who was now clearly in distress. He ignored the bird as he plugged the machine in and hastily hooked up the mask and tubes. With a flick of the switch a low hum announced the machine was on and working. 

“Hey there my bu... bea... butter... beautiful hunter” Elliott winced at his own words knowing anxiety made his speech worse than it usually was. He was sitting on the side of the bed propping Bloodhound up and trying to slip the mask over their face as coughs and gasps were starting to come more frequent. Their eyebrows furrowed as they roused.

“Hmm?” Their eyes opened blearily to focus on Elliott in confusion. “Elskan what-” their accented voice cut off as another cough shook their frame and one hand traveled up to grasp at their aching chest. The other hand reached up to grab one of Elliott’s own who was now just finishing up by tightening the mask

“I gotcha. Just a crummy night but lucky for you, I’m here to play nurse.” Elliott sent a wink and a bright smile to his companion that went unseen as they let their chin fall to their chest. Their body was slumping towards him as they focused on trying to breathe through the pain wracking their lungs. Their hand twisted deeper into the fabric of their shirt as another pulse of pain and tightness ran through them. “Sweetheart,” Elliott gently grabbed their face to try and get them to focus on him. “Do I need to get your pre… pers… tiction… pills?”

There was a moment of pause as it seemed his hunter was debating this themself. Having cryo blast through your lungs gave you a lot more issues than just asthmatic symptoms Elliott had found out. If not being able to breath wasn’t enough, random chest pain was a common occurrence and almost always accompanied attacks. Bloodhound had tried to describe the pain like small razor blades spreading through their lungs as they inhaled. Pain bad enough to require their heavy prescription was rare, but when they had attacks sometimes the pain would last long after they were able to breathe again and they were forced to give in and take the medication. Unfortunately modern medicine could only do so much to aid destroyed lung tissue so it wasn’t something fixable at this point.

Bloodhound finally shook their head and their hand that was twisted in their shirt slowly started to relax. A loud caw and the shaking of metal made Elliott turn his attention away from his hunter. Artur cawed again and Elliott swore he was being given a death stare from the damn thing. He let out a dramatic sigh and stood up to let the raven out before it busted out the cage and went straight for his poor face.

“Listen here buddy-” He was cut off as Bloodhound’s hand shot out to grab his arm and keep him in place. They still were breathing heavily in the clear medical mask as they tugged him back towards them, eyes pleading. The bird was forgotten as he sent them a soft smile. 

“Feeling touchy-feely huh? I can def... def... dent... absolutely help with that.” Elliott awkwardly maneuvered himself on the bed and slid behind Bloodhound, legs on either side of them so they could lean back onto his chest. One hand moved to rest on their hand now loosely curled into their shirt while the other hand absently moved to their other arm, absently tracing the tattoos running along their skin.

He could feel their body start to relax against his own. He hummed a random tune as he traced the large compass tattoo or the ‘ vegvísir’ as Bloodhound called it. An angry caw startled him and his humming cut off abruptly. He looked over at the forgotten raven to see the bird fiercely rattling the cage door again. Elliott swore he could see fire in the bird’s eyes…. Specifically directed at him.

“Haetta Artur. I am well.” Bloodhound lazily moved their hand from Elliott’s and flicked it towards the raven. Artur immediately quieted down but didn’t go back to his perch, instead he seemed content to settle in to glare at the trickster. Ignoring the bird the best he could, Elliott kept his attention on Bloodhound. He was pleased that his hunter’s breathing had returned almost to normal, the machine doing its work efficiently. 

Bloodhound let out a deep breath through their nose and twisted themself to the side so they could comfortably rest their head on Elliott’s lower chest and wrap a strong arm around his back. No one would ever believe Elliott if he told them the scary and mysterious Hunter of the Gods was a cuddler. He had been quite surprised to find that out himself as well.

“Thank you, elskan. I did not mean to worry you” Elliott could hear the guilt in their voice. He’d told them countless times that they weren’t a burden but his hunter had explained once that this was the one weakness they couldn’t control and they couldn’t get rid of. It was hard for them to always come to terms that they would forever have something holding them back from being 100%. The mask they wore in the Games made sure it was never an issue while they were running around, sliding down cliffs, and fighting. Bloodhound can only give it their all physically for so long and also so many times during the Games. The hunter’s breaths become heavy and ragged when they push themselves to run at their full sprint while using their tactical gear. 

Once finding out about why that was, Elliott had worried every time he was teamed up and could hear their heavy breathing through the mask as they went after another team. Bloodhound had assured him that they knew their limits and used their full strength strategically. Elliot’s worry had abated, also because he was sure his hunter’s pride would not take it if they fell to a full attack in the ring if they overdid it. Bloodhound’s fucked up lungs may be the only thing keeping them from being an unstoppable force in the world, given how deadly they were when they held nothing back. It was a sobering thought to be honest.

Elliot combed fingers through their hair again, running his fingers across the runes carved into the beads. Bloodhound had taught him quite a bit about the old gods since they had gotten close and he was still baffled at how complex and sophisticated it all was. Bloodhound’s hand that wasn’t wrapped around his back reached up to brush back the unruly curls that fell into his face. “I could make some for you… if you would like.” 

Elliot blinked blankly down at his hunter not processing what they had said. “The beads. I can make some and …” they paused and lifted their hand to twirl their finger trying to show what they were talking about, “...Þráður, what is the word in english?” They let out a huff of air, seeming to give up on trying. “I can put them in for you.” They looked up and Elliott could see their warm smile through the mask over their face. 

“I- … I think I’d like that sometime.” Elliott loved when Bloodhound gave him an opportunity to share a piece of their life and he hoped they liked it as well. Every passionate talk of their religion, every teaching of the meanings behind their tattoos, and each attempted lesson in tracking made Elliott feel closer to Bloodhound in ways he couldn’t describe. He wasn’t even aware he had dozed off again, comfortable and relaxed with his lover in his arms. 

~

“Elliott” He heard the soft voice as a hand stroked his hair back from his face. “Elskan, the sun is awake.” A kiss was pressed to his lips gently and he finally opened his eyes with a sleepy smile. Bloodhound was sitting on their knees between his legs, the clear medical mask long gone. A quick glance to the end table showed the machine had already been stowed back underneath the bed. He found himself looking at his lover in awe as the sun shone through the window and highlighted their hair and the pale veinlike scars on their face. They were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. They gave him a breathtaking smile and he found himself leaning forward to kiss them. “Thank you again... for last night.” 

“I always thought I’d look good in a nurse’s outfit, ya know, if the bar fell through and all that.” Bloodhound let out a small laugh and shook their head. They both knew this wouldn’t be the last time Elliott would wake up to find his companion dealing with their crappy lungs, but he felt himself hoping it would always be with him and not someone else further down the line. It was crazy to think of how much he’d changed as a man during their relationship, not that it was a bad thing… Just different. There was a time he’d be waking up with someone random in his bed already thinking about the next catch, not sitting here enjoying the company of his hunter. Bloodhound shot him a vicious smile, an eyebrow raised in question.

“Speaking of, I think I remember you saying you’d play nurse elskan.” Elliott didn’t have time for a witty comeback before their lips were already pressed to his, their strong arms wrapping around him.

A sharp caw of protest echoed through the room.

-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. :)


End file.
